Georgia - the best schools and lowest crime rate (Atlanta: fit in, transplants)

[Haleema12]

My husband and I are thinking about moving to the states, but we're not sure which state to move to. My first choice would have been NYC only because I lived there before. The problem is though we haven't been hearing positive feedback about NYC. I've heard that the middle schools are unsafe and the quality is poor. NYC is, apparently, the most expensive city in the US plus housing is a hassle with rent being so expensive. I was advised to research South and North Carolina and Georgia in particular Atlanta, but I'd like to hear about the other neighbourhoods.

We're basically looking for a family-oriented state where the schools are good, cost of living is low and the crime is too and where I am able to find a physical therapy job. Plus my son is an avid football player, so we'd like to live in a state where kids play football. We are also muslims too, so we'd ideally like to live in a muslim community or at least in a community that has a mosque or islamic shops etc. I don't have a clue how to start researching, as there are so many states to choose from and things to consider. We're already used to the hot climate, as we live in the Dominican Republic at the moment, so I'd prefer to stay in the warm climate.

I am a UK citizen with a greencard, which allows me to work and live in the states. My son is an American citizen and my Dominican husband needs to apply for a visa. Then there's the unemployment to think about and which states are worse off. So, I just wanted to pick your brains and hear your thoughts about the different neighbourhoods in Georgia.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[rcsteiner]

Not sure how close the climate around the Atlanta area would be to your current location. You can see current weather information all over the net, but it can (and will) get down well below 0 degrees Celsius a few times at night here during the winter months.

In the daytime it's warmer in the winter (highs often around 10-20C), but that might not be warm by your measure. Summer temps tend to stay around 30-35C in the daytime and get down into the low 20's C at night.

Unemployment in Georgia right now isn't good ... 10.1% statewide, and 10.5% in the Atlanta metro as a whole. That's a bit higher than the national average.

It might be a good fit in other ways, since the winter season here is more like an extended autumn compared to where I'm from (Minnesota), since football is a major deal in the state of Georgia, and since folks here are relatively open in general to transplants. Hard to say. Atlanta is a relatively large metro, and of course you're potentially comparing it to the entire country.

Good luck in your research and in your future move!

[EmergencyTaco]

Iv'e lived in Atlanta my entire life and I absolutely love it. I am thinking about converting to Islam from Christianity so I know there are a lot of mosques. Atlanta has a great football environment especially the unnibersity of Georgia which is also a very good school. The only areas with high crime rates are east point, chamblee, doraville, college park, Cummings, and in some parts of dunwoody which is where I live. So all in all Atalanta is a great city that u and you're family would love living in.